Stringed musical instrument



J. N. WARD STRINGED MUSIC'KL INSTRUMENT Filed.June 24, 1925 zsneets-sheet 1 J. N. WARD STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 24,

1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

UNITED STATES,

7 JOHN NOAH WARD, JACKSON, TENNESSEE.

s'rnnvenn MUSICAL msrrnulvrnn'r.

Application filed June 24,1925. Serial No. 39,316.

This invention relates toimprovements in stringed musical instruments and has as one of its objects to provide a stringed musical instrument which-Will possess excellent tone qualities and which will embody means whereby thepropagated sound waves will be amplified Without any accompanying harshness. i I

Another object of the invention isto provide a stringed musical instrument in which each string is supported'by an individual bridge, in turn supported by a resonant diaphragm mounted at the end of the neck of an individual sound wave amplifying horn, the invention contemplating the arrangement of the several amphfymg horns Wltlllll the body of the instrument in such a manner that the sound waveswill be amplified with out distortion or harshness, so that While the tones will have a, desirable volume, they will lose none of their mellowness.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevationof the musical instrument embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through the instrument.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectionalview on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the di rection indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4: is a detail vertical sectional view through the neck of one of the amplifying horns and the resonant diaphragm andthe bridge supported thereby. I

' The body of the instrument is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and comprises a Hat relatively thin wood back 2 and afront 3, the back and front being marginally united by a rim 4: preferably of wood. The front 3.is preferably made intwo sections, one of the sections, indicated by the numeral 5, extendingfrom the tail end of the body to a point near the neck end thereof and having a thickened chordal edge 6 to the outer side of which is secured the chordal edge of the other section of the front, which is indicated by the numeral 7, this last mentioned section being provided with a sound opening indicated by the numeral 8. The neck of the instrument is indicated by the numeral 9 and is united to the body in the usual manner and is provided with frets 10 over which are stretched the strings '11- of the instrument, the strings being each connected at one sioning keys 13 mounted upon the head 14 of the neck 9.

' Interiorly the body 1 of the instrument is divided by a transverse partition 15 which entends between the opposite sides of the rim 1in the plane of the thickened marginal portion 6 of. the section 5 of the front of the body, and arranged within the compartment 16 thus provided, is a resonance chamber which is indicated in general by the numeral 17. The resonance chamber 1 7 is preferably formed of resonant sheetmet-al and comprises a back 18, a front 19, and a wall 20, which wall is of substantially the contour of the rim 4 ofthe body of the instrument except that the wall is provided with a chordal portion 21 which occupies a plane parallel to the parti t1on 15. The chamber is completely closed and it-is maintained within the compartment 16 With its back 18, front 19, and wall20,

suitably spaced with respect to the back 2, the section 5 of the front 8, and the rim 4 of the b-odyof the instrument, and likewise is spaced with relation tothe partition 15, by spacing studs 22, 23, 24 and 25 which are preferably of the conical form illustrated in Figure 3, and are carried respectively by the inner surfaces of the back 2, the section 5 of the front 3, the rim 4, and the partition 15 of the body of the instrument, and have their pointed ends contacting the adjacent surfaces of the resonance chamber.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the instrument is provided with six strings, althoughthis number may be varied and the instrument otherwise modified as regards the arrangement of its frets, and'in connection With each string there is provided an. amplifying horn indicated by the numeral 26. Each of the horns 26 is of resonant sheet metal; as for example, brass, and each horn at one end is provided with anoutwardly curved neck27, the outer end portion of which is? straight and substantiallyat right angles tothe axis of the body of thehorn. The horns are arranged Within the resonance chamber 17, side by side, and each horn isprovided at the bend between its body and theneck portion, with a supporting standard 28 which at its end is secured to the inner side of the back 18 of the said reson'ance chamber. The inner end of eachhorn is, in this manner, rigidly supportedwith relation to the resonance chain} secured within a respective one of a series of openings 29 formed in the chordal wall 21 of the said resonance chamber. The inter mediate portion of each horn is afforded support by being fitted through a respective one of a series of openings 30 formed in a relatively short sheet metal partition 31 which is arranged within the resonance chamber 17 and extends between the back and front thereof but terminates at its opposite ends considerably short of the opposite sides of the wall 20 of the said chamber. The bells of the horns, which bells are indicated by the numeral 32, extend through openings 33 formed in the partition 15 and, therefore, are arranged to deliver the sound waves into the forward portion of the body of the instrument in proximity to the sound opening 8. The necks 27 of the horns are extended outwardly through openings 34 in the front section 5 of the instrument body, and through openings 35 in the front 19 of the resonance chamber, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, a plate 36 being preferably secured .to the outer side of the front section 5 and having openin s registering with the openin s 34, the sai plate serving to prevent en argement of the openings 34 through any strains which may be imposed upon t e stems of the horns through tensioning of the strings or playing of the instrument.

The projecting end of the neck of each horn is exteriorly threaded as indicated by the numeral 37, and a collar 38 is threaded onto the end of the neck and is provided with an inwardly projecting circumscribing flange 39 opposing the extremity of the neck. The numeral 40 indicates a circular disc of hard rubber or other resonant material which is peripherally disposed between the end of the neck 27 and the flange 39 of the collar 38, and securely held in place closing the end of the neck, to which the collar 38 is threaded. A post 41, either of hard rubber or any other material found suitable for the purpose, extends outwardly from the center of the diaphragm or disc 40 and is provided with astring notch indicated by the numeral 42, and by reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that the strings of the instrument are engaged in the I notches 42 of the string posts upon the diaphragms 40 of their respective amplifying horns 26.

It will be evident that the vibration of any of the strings of the instrument will effect vibration of the respective diaphragms 40, thus resulting in the propagation of sound Waves which will be amplified by the respective horns before passing throu hv the sound opening 8, the resonance cham er 17 materially assisting'the horns in amplifying the sound waves, and serving, likewise, to

maintain the mellow qualities of the tones.

In order that the instrument may be more conveniently held and may be suitably braced while rested upon the players knee, a downwardly and rearwardly curved rest member 43 is provided upon the lower side of the rim 4 of the body of the instrument and is adapted to fit against the side of the players knee.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body including spaced front and back walls and a partition wall, a plurality of horns enclosed within the body and having their bell ends opening through the partition wall and the neck ends curving laterally and opening through the front wall, a diaphragm fitted to and closing the rojecting neck of each of the horns, an musical strings stretched over the front of the body and excrcising a perpendicular pressure upon the diaphragms of the respective horns.

2. A stringed musical instrument com )rising a body including spaced front and ack walls and a partition wall dividing the body into resonance and sound compartments, the front of the sound compartment having an outlet for the sound, horns supported within the resonance compartment and having their bell ends extending through the said partition wall into the sound compartment and havin their neck ends curving laterally and exten ing through the front of the resonance compartment, a diaphragm fitted to and closing the projecting neck of each of the horns, and musical strings stretched over the front of the body and exerting a perpendicular pressure upon the diaphragms of the respective horns.

3. A stringed musical instrument comprising a body including spaced front and back walls and a partition wall dividing the body into resonance and sound compartments, the front of the sound compartment having an outlet for the sound, a resonance chamber supported within the resonance compartment and spaced from the walls thereof, horns supported within the resonance chamber and having their bell ends extending through a wall thereof and the said partition wall into the sound compartment, and having their neck ends curved laterally and extending through the resonance chamber and the front of the resonance compartment, a diaphragm fitted to and closing the projecting neck of each of the horns, and musical strings stretched over the front of the body and exerting a perpendicular pressure upon the diaphragms of the respective horns. v

4. A stringedmusical instrument com rising a body including spaced front and ack walls and a marginal connecting rim, the front comprising portions in different planes, a partition dividing the body into resonance and sound compartments, the latter having a sound opening in its front, a

neck projected from the sound compartment, a resonance chamber supported. Within the resonance compartment and spaced from the Walls thereof, a plurality of horns Within the resonance chamber and having their bell ends extending through'a Wall thereof and the said partition into the sound compartment, and having their neck ends curved laterally and extending through the resonance chamber andthe front of the resonance compartment and disposed in a straight line,

diaphragms fitted to and closing the projecting neck ends of the horns and provided With posts, and strings stretched over the said posts and attached at one end to a tail piece of the body and at the opposite end to keys at the outer end of the neck.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN NOAH WARD. [1.1.5.] 

